LAUSD Supt. John Deasy addresses Miramonte sex-abuse allegations

In the wake of teachers being charged with lewd acts with students, Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. John Deasy has sought to reassure teachers and staff in a video address.

The two accused teachers at Miramonte Elementary School have been removed and face criminal charges.

In his four-minute address, Deasy said the rest of the staff at Miramonte, which had been temporarily relocated to the unopened Augustus Hawkins High School nearby, will have the opportunity to eventually return.

"The reason that I wanted to address you is because I know that the actions of the arrested teachers at Miramonte, and the other schools, do not reflect on you or your professionalism," Deasy said. "I want to say that again. Just because a few members have [allegedly] done terrible things, that are being dealt with appropriately by law enforcement officials, that does not reflect on the amazing teaching, leadership and classified staff that I see every day in LAUSD."

He also said that lessons could be learned from the tragedy, and that the primary lesson is that the district could bolster training of its staff on how to handle and report child abuse.

"Despite our efforts to improve instruction and survive massive budget cuts, our first responsibility is to protect the children in our care," he said, adding, "It is important that our communities continue to feel safe in our schools. As you know, better than any, often our schools serve as a refuge for families."

[For the record, 9:52 p.m., Feb. 18: An earlier version of this post incorrectly reported that Deasy said the investigation into the allegations at Miramonte was complete. In fact, he said: "After all investigations are complete and no additional issues emerge, every staff member from Miramonte who is now at Augustus Hawkins will have the opportunity to return to the school."]